HEALTH chiefs in Coventry face a ‘use it or lose it’ race to spend £28million by April.

NHS bosses have too much money in the coffers and fear they could be punished for saving too much.

The primary care trust (PCT), responsible for most of the NHS in Coventry, is on track to have an underspend of more than £33million when the financial year ends on March 31.

But NHS Coventry will only be allowed to keep £5million.

And the trust could be marked down for ‘bad management’ during its annual review for not using enough cash.

Patients and doctors have hit out at the rules which stop the primary care trust spending the extra it has saved.

Reasons for the surplus include GP clinics and dentists coming in under budget and a number of highly-paid jobs left vacant.

An NHS Coventry spokesman said: “The PCT planned to deliver a surplus of £5million. However, a combination of slippage in planned developments, close control of finances and a review of its reserves and contingencies meant a high likelihood the planned surplus would be exceeded. Under NHS financial arrangements any excess above £5million would not be able to be carried forward and would be ‘lost’ to Coventry and its residents.”

The trust is now launching a string of one-off health projects to put the cash to good use before it is taken away.

Bosses have already given the green light to £13million worth of schemes, including:

* £2million for promoting sport and exercise.

* £1.8million for Coventry City Council’s healthy schools programme.

* £1.8million for a project to create more healthy workplaces.

* £1.5million for a parenting programme with Coventry City Council.

* £8million worth of projects are being drawn up, with a further £8million for the trust’s partners.

All of these proposed schemes will have to go through if NHS Coventry is to reach its £5million target.

“The PCT is undertaking a number of additional investments – mainly of a non-recurrent nature – which will either have future financial and health benefits, for example support for new facilities and premises, or a grant payment for a short term project with partners to deliver health improvement services,” the spokesman said.

Funding rules are ridiculous, says chief

PATIENTS and doctors have criticised the “ridiculous” rules which have forced Coventry health chiefs into a £28million spending spree.

Just two years ago, the trust was forced to make more than £10 million worth of cuts to come in on budget.

That included laying off senior nursing staff and school nurses, cutting postnatal workshops and axing the city’s blood clinics – though these have since reopened following a huge public outcry.

Dr Manoj Pai, chair of the local medical committee, said the city’s health care was suffering because of the “quick fix” short-term approach to budgets and spending, rather than a better planned approach.

He wants health trusts to be given a three-year budget so they can address the long term issues, such as the rising need for home care for recovering patients, rather than having to meeting shifting targets.

“This isn’t the PCT’s fault at all – they have been quite creative looking at schemes to spend this money,” said Dr Pai, who practises in Hillfields.

“There are half a dozen ways I could think of spending this money but I wouldn’t want it spent in a way which would leave us facing more cuts in two years’ time.”

Michael Summers, vice president of the Patients’ Association, said: “There are ridiculous restrictions being placed on trusts in this era when finances are under such a lot of pressure.”